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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · cap · bark · wax · prune · rule · vault · rock

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. game — a match
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com